To this reader there are a number of truly glaring omissions that most definitely should have been included in such a survey: COLONIAL ERA — American Colonies , by Alan Taylor (2001; Viking); BIOGRAPHIES— John Adams , by David McCullough (2001; Simon "&Schuster), Alexander Hamilton , by Ron Chernow (2004; Penguin), TR: The Last Romantic , by H. W. Brands (1997; Basic Books), Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr ., by Ron Chernow (1998; Random House), and Truman , by David McCullough (1992; Touchstone); MODERN AMERICA— Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War , 1929-45, by David M. Kennedy (1999; Oxford). These books represent landmark efforts by their respective authors and belong on any U.S. historian’s reading list.